NASCAR WCUP: Earnhardt Jr. feels Darlington owes him one
30 August 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
"I can't wait to get this race started. I feel like this place owes us
one. We were running really well (in the spring race) until we broke a
rear axle. We are confident in our setup. Until we had problems, I ran in
the top ten and it was comfortable, but we just hope that we don't get
snake bit again this time. The track is so abrasive that you feel like
Superman with new tires, but that only lasts for a short time. Then, the
tires go away and you just hang on for the rest of the run. When you're
sliding around, it gets so bad you feel like you're going to crash every
lap. It's a helpless feeling and then it makes it worse when guys with new
tires go by."--Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
This Week's Race
- What: Southern 500, Winston Cup Race 24 of 34
- Where: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC
- When: Sunday, September 3, 2000
- Watch: ESPN, 1 p.m. Eastern
BUD Pole qualifying will be seen live Friday afternoon on ESPN2 at 3:30 pm Eastern.
Dale Jr.'s best finish at Darlington was a second-place tally in the fall Busch Series race in 1998. He improved 32 positions from his 34th place starting position.
What to Watch
Did you know that the Darlington track is shaped like an egg to protect a minnow pond outside of turn 4? When the track was built in 1949, a nearby land owner refused to budge, causing the track to be built with a wide turn one and two and a narrow turn three and four.
This race has been held on the Labor Day weekend since 1950, and it holds a lot of tradition and significance for many in the NASCAR community. The shape of the track, combined with an aged, sand-blown racing surface, creates a tough challenge for the teams, as the abrasive surface chews up tires like a cheese grater munching warm cheddar.
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